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It was almost unbearable for Cordia to know that Will was in town but that she could not see him. She realized she could have found an excuse to go over to the Adams Farm. But she also thought that she should give Julia some time to spend alone with her brother. Likewise, she had found out the day before how extremely difficult it was to be in the same room with Will and just pretend he was a simple acquaintance, the brother of a friend, the cousin of her lost love.
Instead, she spent the day with Susannah. Her friend had not been the same since her husband went off to war. Susannah had always been one to worry about every little thing, but now, she was sure that her husband had been killed or was going to be killed soon. Every day that went by without a letter from James brought more horrifying images to his wife. And it didn’t seem to matter how many times Cordia explained to her friend that the post moved very slowly these days, especially out of moving army camps, s
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Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Cellar
Dinner was just as awkward as Cordia had imagined it would be. She spent what seemed like an eternity trying not to look at Will and could tell by his avoidance of making eye contact with her, he was trying just as hard. Finally, as the meal was ending, she suggested that she have a look at that bandage. Alas, Margaret chimed in that she had already changed it just a few hours ago. Cordia felt her heart sink, having no earthly idea how she was going to get to see Will alone now. She could see by the disappointed look on his face that he had not been a willing patient for his aunt either.“Well,” Isaac proclaimed, standing up, “That was a fine meal. Now, let us gentlemen retire to the study to finish our discussion of politics and warfare—ideas the woman can surely do without.”The men, including Zachariah who was nearly 15, all stood up to follow Mr. Pike into the study. It had occurred to Cordia that Margaret would not want to join them a
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Rendezvous
Cordia Pike had never even imagined doing anything like this before in her whole life. Except for her rash trip to Springfield, she had always been extremely honest with her parents—almost to a fault. Now, here she was, lacing up her boots at 1:45 in the morning to sneak out.She had wondered, at first, about the possibility of going out her bedroom window. There was a tree branch that overhung the roof, and she had thought it might be possible to swing onto the top of a little shed from there and then jump down. Though Cordia usually found it hard to admit, she really was scared to commit such daring feats. So, she decided she would do the most obvious thing and take her chances sneaking out the back door. She was too frightened to bring a lantern with her. Instead, she used what little moonlight fell across the stairs to navigate her way down them and into the hallway. Her parents’ bedroom was upstairs, as was Frieda’s, and none of them seemed to be follow
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Suspicious
Will had seen the militia out making patrol rounds as he made his way toward the Adams Farm. They had not seen him or else he would have probably been interrogated and would have had to lie so as not to tell them where he had been. He finally made it back to the barn to tie up the horse, relieved to see that there were no lamps lit in the house. He snuck in the back door and made his way to the makeshift bedroom he had been sleeping in. However, as he crossed the kitchen, he saw Julia sitting up in her bed in the room beyond. He sighed, and she stood up to follow him into his room.“Well?” she asked, closing the door behind her.“Well, what?” he asked, taking off his hat and coat and throwing them over the back of a chair.“Aren’t you going to tell me where you’ve been?” she asked a bit too noisily.“Not so loud!” he said, sitting down on the cot and taking off his boots. “Why do you care w
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Accusations
Cordia gasped. Barely any light was coming in through her bedroom windows, making it difficult to see who she was looking at, but she thought the form and the voice were familiar. Finally, she said in a very meek voice, “Frieda, is that you?”The shadow shifted a little bit, and the voice boomed, “Yes, it’s me. Where have you been child?” She stood up now and reached over and lit the lamp next to Cordia’s bed, her face portraying she was unhappy with finding the girl sneaking back into her bedroom so late at night.Though Cordia was about as frightened as she had ever been, she suddenly became very aware that she was still wearing Will’s ring. She slid it off before Frieda turned back around and shoved it down the top of her dress. She decided to play nonchalant. “Oh, Frieda,” she said smiling, “don’t you know I sometimes like to go for walks? I was just out for a little stroll.”Frieda didn
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Carey
March 1862“Let the blessings of spring be bountiful, and let our hearts be open in this time of new life and new promise. In Jesus blessed name we ask these things, Amen.”Cordia had been trying to listen to Rev. Jacobson’s sermon, but her mind was full of turbulence these days, and she was having trouble concentrating on the outside world. Thankfully, she had been hearing from Will on a regular basis. Throughout the winter, there had been little need to worry, as his unit had not been very active, only a small skirmish from time to time. Yet, as the days started to grow long again, and all things dead seemed to reawaken, she grew more worried that the spring would change its role from bringer of life to the season of mourning. With warmer weather, more battles were apt to happen, more lives likely to be lost. And though Will had promised he would return, part of her still agonized over the idea that he might not be able to keep that promise
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Better
When Cordia arrived at the Adams Farm, Julia was sitting on the swing under the oak tree, a light blanket wrapped around her to help combat the cool March breeze. She looked pale; her eyes had dark circles under them. Cordia wasn’t sure she should even be out of bed, but she knew it was no use trying to tell Julia that. “Mornin',” she said as she approached. She sat down next to her friend who acknowledged her arrival with a smile. “How are you feeling today?”Julia peered off beyond the horizon for a few moments. Finally, she said, “I feel all right. I didn’t want to stay in that stuffy bedroom anymore. Aunt Margaret finally said I could come outside for a spell, but only if I stayed wrapped up.”Cordia could plainly see the agitation on the young woman’s face. She knew that Julia was a very capable person, and as hard as it was for Cordia to see her a prisoner of her own body, it must have been exponentially harde
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Shiloh
Will had heard that some were calling this place Shiloh after a church nearby. However, from his vantage point, Will could see nothing peaceful about it. The day before, he and the rest of Grant’s men had been bivouacked near the river, waiting for reinforcements from Ohio. They knew that P.G.T. Beauregard and his troops were in the area; however, they had no idea that they were so incredibly close.The Rebs had been successful that first day, pushing them back toward Owl Creek. The ground had been terrible, like fighting in a pile of fresh horse manure, the mud clinging to their shoes and their pants, weighing them down and making any sort of a hasty retreat impossible. Luckily, the enemy had seemed confused, and Will and the men he was fighting with were able to drop back to a better position. It seemed like the Sunken Road they chose for cover was good ground, and it proved to be so when the Confederate Army could not make its way through what they were now calling t
Cordia's Will: A Civil War Story of Love and Loss Discussion
“Tell us, how are the city militia boys keepin’ up?” Cordia’s father asked, a large piece of pot roast poised on his fork as he asked Carey Adams questions about the war over dinner.Carey chewed a bit before answering. “Very well, sir,” he replied. “We are in fine shape to hold off even the most deliberate of guerrilla raiders. Why, I assure you, even Quantrill himself would not be able to step foot within our city limits without our forces crushing him and his men. Not even the army of Gen. Grant would stand a chance against our fine Lamar fighting troops,” he continued, his chest puffing with pride.Cordia couldn’t help but snicker. “Do you mean the same Gen. Grant who has Braxton Bragg and his forces high-tailing it to Chattanooga? That must be quite some force of farmers and merchants you’ve put together there.” She had begun an intricate process of moving small portions of her food from one p
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